Kansas Senator Jerry Moran to Head New Subcommittee

The US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation has at last assigned its subcommittees for the 119th Congress, and with the reshuffling comes a notable consolidation. The newly formed Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation will be chaired by Kansas Senator Jerry Moran, with Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth as the ranking minority member.

This subcommittee will now oversee both aviation safety and the commercial space industry, a pairing that makes sense—at least as long as the FAA continues to regulate commercial space launches.

“The subcommittee will work on legislation to advance policies that put safety first while bolstering innovation and efficiency,” explained Sen. Moran. “Recent tragedies demonstrate that our nation’s aviation system is facing a critical inflection point, and as Chairman, I will work to make certain air travel remains the safest method of transportation.”

The subcommittee’s jurisdiction includes oversight of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), NASA, and the civil aviation and space policy functions of several federal agencies, including the Department of Transportation and the National Space Council. Among Moran’s stated priorities are implementing the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, supporting NASA’s Artemis program, and ensuring that the U.S. maintains its competitive edge in the space race, particularly in relation to China.

This restructuring of the Senate Commerce Committee’s subpanels means there will now be six subcommittees instead of seven, with aviation and space policy merged under one umbrella. It’s not an entirely new concept—the FAA continues to regulate commercial space launches up to the edge of space. But with companies like SpaceX frequently at odds with the FAA over regulations, this move will certainly bring added political intrigue.

Sen. Moran, who represents a state that houses some of the largest aviation manufacturers in the world, will now be in a position to shape policies affecting both legacy aerospace companies and the rising commercial space sector. Meanwhile, Sen. Duckworth, who chaired the previous aviation safety subcommittee, will now serve as the ranking member of this broader aviation-space panel.

With these assignments finalized, the subcommittee can now get to work on the issues at hand. Given the recent aviation incidents and the rapid expansion of commercial space activity, there is certainly no shortage of pressing matters to address.

FMI: www.moran.senate.gov